peters



@eine tetrs atwt @frn I FRANCOIS LOUIS RGUX, 0F T0 ULON, FRANCE. Letters Patent No. 68,1116, Vclatefl August 2T, 1867; patented in France Jennery 23,1866.

IMPROVEMENT IN 'IIIE SHEATHING 0F SHIPS BOTTOMS.

TO ALL WIIOM VIT MAY CONCERN:

Ee known that I, FRANCOIS LOUIS Roux, ot Toulon, in the Empire of France, Captain in the Imperial Navy, and Ollicer of the Legion of Honor, here invented certain new und usefulimprovements in the Mode of Applying Copper Sheathing to Ships constructed ot' or plated with iron g and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the figures of the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification 5 that is to say- Y My invention relates to a peculiar Ymode of applying copper sheathing to iron und iron-plated ships or vessels, in combination with insulating material for the prevent-ion of roltaic action between the two metals.

Y Preliminary Operations. y

The portions of the hull intended to be sheathed are first carefully eleuned and dressed, so as to clear off all traces of oxide' of iron, all the cavities eristing` therein b'eing also cleared out, and stopped with minium cement. This donc the surface is covered with u cont of minium paint. The shectsot` copper are then adjusted` to the positions they are intended to occupy on the vessel, and are afterwards shapedhy meansof a shearing apparatus, the rivet holes being marked oil at the desired points, and thereafter' punched out in the ordinary way. The shout-hing is then temporarily attached to the hull, and the' centre of each rivet hole is marked on the'lntter by the pointer, shown inl Figure 1. This done, it is withdrawn, and the trae-es of the pointer are enlarged by the punch, Figure 2, so as better tedctermine the centre of the hole, and to facilitate the piercing, which is afterwards eil'eeted` by the boring-bits, Figure 3. The holes thus pierced, being brought to uniform diameter by the opening bit, Fiffure 4, set in a suitable brace, are countersunk by means of the spring branch tools, seen in Figures end'. These tools, the extremities of' which are closed by pincers, are successively worked in the holes-lin the same manner as the opening bit, each operation being indicated by a distinct external sign, so-as Vto avoid the possibility of error. The centrc'of each hole is then finished off by the tool, Figure 7, and is stopped by the frieze or other similar washer R O, Figure 8, after which a second coat of minium paint is applied to the whole surface.v v

l Application of the Insulatng Material. v

The operations above described being completed, the hull is covered to the depth of say about enc-eighteenth (fg) of in inch, withlany suitable insulating material, which should', as far as possible, be possessed 'of plastic, adherent, and elastic properties, combined with inalterability when exposed to the action of seawater.

' The compound known'as RouXs cement, fulfilling as it does'the above conditions, is perfectly adapted to the purposes of tlie present invention. l A

In order to ascertain and clear out the rivet holes concealed by (the cement, the sheets of copper are again set in position, and ithe piercer, Figure 9, is forced through the cement at the points corresponding with` the punching. In the cavity formed by this piercer is' driven the punch, Figures I0, 10 bis, by which thc cement iscut out from the hole down to the washer R O, set at-the bottom, and the holes-are finally cleared out by the double worm, shown in Figure 1I.

` Application of the Rivets cmd Sheatling.

Figures 1Q, llbis, represent the details -of the rivets and corresponding settingtool. The rivets are formed of copper, and are composed of the heed P, the collur'Q Q, and the easement E, hollowed out below. Under the 'collar Q Q is set a washer, M N, made from an alloy of seven Yparts of tin te three 'parts of lead. The head of theriret is `inserted in the cavityof the settingtocl S TU, and the stalk, being passed into the hole pierced in the hull, is secured by hammer strokes applied to the head ofthe tool. In thisoperation the metallic washer M N sinks into the cement, while the collar/Q Q sinks inte the washer, thus forming n perfectly watertight adjustment. t

As a further precaution against the admission of the sea-wate1, which alone can give rise to destructivo voltaic action, n second coating of cement is applied to the hull, so as to cover the entire surface, with the exception of the rivet heads. 'If so desired, the rivets above described may be replaced by copper or other metallic screws. The length of these rivet heads, as also the form of the metallic washers and setting-tools, is variable, according to the position occupied by the rivet in the sheathing, but the length et' the sta-lk remains always the same. At those points of the sheathing where three sheets of copper aroinjuxtaposition I make use of the rivet, washer, and setting-tool represented in No. 1, Figure 13. When two sheets only are in question I employ the rivet, washer, and tool shown in No. 2, Figure 14. The rivet, washer, and tool shown in No.v 3, Figure 15, are specially intended for the holes formed in the interior of th sheets.' The rivets situated on tho overlapping line of the sheathing are covered with a thin strip of lead, and each middle rivet is fitted with a kloaden washer. of about one-ftieth (-516) of an inch in thickness, previously pierced at the centre. The strips are pierced when being set in position by the tool-sharer, in Figure A16. Both strips and washers are made to adhere to the cement by a hot mixture of. eight parts of vegetable tar to two parts of dry pitch. The surfaces thus prepared are then covered with large, thin sheets of lead or other malleable metal, which are made to adhere by the same means as the leaden strips above mentioned. Finallv, each sheet of copper is set in its place,A commencing at the top of the after part ofthe hull, and the rivet heads are closed down in the ordinary way.

In order to render perfectly intelligible the action of the tools in the different processes above described, I refer to Figures 17, 17 bis, which show, in plan and vertical section, the successive transformation of one of the middle rivet holes, from the first stroke of the pointin`g-punch down to the final heading and closing down of the rivet. I

l Figure 18 represents on a scale of one-half aportion of the sheathing of an iron vessel constructed of plates set edge to edge. In this plate the successive operations are so clearly defined as to dispense with the necessity of detaileddescription. Y

As a matter of course, the most perfect adjustment of the sheathing is obtained on vessels constructed of plates set edge to edge, but as this mode of construction involves additional cost and weight I haveendoavored, as hereafter described, to remedy the disadvantages resulting from the overlapping'of the metal of the hull. To this end I adapt to each seam, Figures 19, 19 bis, a series of wooden laths of 'prismatic form,M N O, set end to end, and secured to the hull by strips P Q ofthe soft metallic alloy before mentioned, spaced by about twenty inches from each other. These laths are covered with cement and sheet lead, over which is placed the sheet of copper, which is fixed by the rivets R I-to the parts corresponding with the wooden fittings.

The hulls sheathed by this process present an undulating surface, which, however, oers less resistance to uids than the edges of the overlapped plates. When so desired, the rivets above described may be substituted by a certain number of ordinary rivets at the overlapping lines ofthe sheathing, by which rlncans the workmanship may be considerably reduced without affecting the solidity of the structure.

Armor-Plated Vessels.

The hulls of armor-plated vessels constructed of iron are treated in the same way as above described for ordinary iron-plated ships, extreme care being taken in coating with cement the upper surfaces of the streaks and the interstioes of the plates, so as to'prevent infiltration of thewater fromwithin. With wooden hulls the sheathing is applied to the armor plating from about three Afeet above the water lincto about four or six inches below the armor under water, beyond which the sheathing is continued over the bottom in the ordinary way.. As in iron hulls, the horizontal and vertical scams formed by the plates are carefully canlked andcoatod with cement, which should even extend over the two first streaks next the armor.

General Details applicable to Halls of every Description.

The rudder and braces, as also thescrcws of iron vessels intended to receive copper sheathing, should bc constructed of cast bronze. The main piece may be formed of wrought iron, from about three-feet above the water-line. The stem should be covered with two. or three superposed sheets of copper of say one twentyfifth, (55,) one-twelfth, (f) and one-fifth of an inch in thickness, Figures 20, 20 bis, to enableV it to resist the friction of the chains. A sheet of lead should bc sot Vbetween each of these sheets ofcopper. The koel, after being sheathed with copper in thc usual way, is fitted underneath with the wooden mountings M N O P, Figures 22, 23, 24, set end to end, and secured by the straps R S T, figs. 2l, 22, 23, of soft metal. These mountings, of an average thickness of'say about two anda half inches, are covered with cement and sheet lead, over which are laid sheets of copper I J K, figs. 22, 23, 24, of about ono-twelfth of an inch in thickness, which are riveted together at the points corresponding with the'wood. Neither nails nor screws of any'kind should penetrate to the mountings, which form a false keel especially intended to protect the koel from injury in ease of the vessel taking the ground. The sheathing applied as above described offers the double vadvantage'of preserving the sailing qualities of iron or armor-plated vessels, and of protecting the hull from external injury. In order to protect the interior surfaces from oxidation a layer of cement is applied within to the bottom 'of thc vessel, as also to those parts of thc inner walls which correspond with the eoalfbunkers'. The surfaces thus prepared are afterwards covered with Portland cement, a layer of from one-half -to two-thirds` ofI an inch being'suiicicnt for the coal-bunkers.` The bottoms, however, should-receive a solid b'ed of thisicemcnt to the height f the fashion-pieces, a channel-way boing formed in the middle to'carry off thc water.

Special Tools. With a view to facilitate tne sheathing process I have modified, as hereafter described, the construction of the braces and ratchet-keys employed therein, and have combined in one tool rall the requisitics for the proper action of the I )oring-bits.` l 4 `Figures 25, 26, 27, represent d'ilercnt views and dctailsof an iron brace, and Figure 30 a ratchet-key, cach provided with the but-plate A YlBMsccn apart in figs. 427,28, and movable bracket C D, shown in Figure 29. By this arrangement both tools arel enabled to drill in a normal lineto the surface of the hull, over when this surface happens not to be parallel with the resting point of the toothed face of the plate A B.

'.lhe` boring apparatus shown in Figures 31, 82, 33, 34, 35, is composed of the body A B C, adjustable to an ordinary hand-brace, and serving' as mount tothe following -tools: lirstly, e boring-bit, D E F; secondly,

t-he pincers G H I; thirdly, the brush J' K Ii A for cleaning the teeth of the boring-hit, fitted to environ rod provided with a. spiral spring; and, fourthly, the pad M N O for the white paint, with which the positionoi` the holes is marked. This pad, which is adjusted inthe stime manner us the brush, is of sicirculor form,A :Ls in P Q R, Figure 36, when used with the first bit, andof o crescent form, as in S T U, Figure 37, of largerdimneter when used with the others. l

Itis scarcely necessary to observe thatelthough I have obtained the best przzcticnl results from the tools above described, tl1ey'ma.y,'if so desired,vbe replaced by others in the application of my -mode of sheathing.

Having now fully described und ascertained the nature of my siud improvements, und the manner ofcurrying them iuto eil'eet, I would have it understood thfat I d o not confine myself to the precise Working;r details above laid down, as these may obviously be.modiiied, :recording to creumstu'nees, without devioting from the principles or muinrfeutures of my, invention. i l

But what I claim, und desire to secure by Letters Butenis- Thedupplieution of copper sheathing to ships or vessels constructed of or plated with iron, in combination with interposed loyers of insulating material, in manneriond for the purposes substontielly'as .herein set forth and represented in figs. 17 to 2l of the annexed drawings.

` F.- L. ROUX| Witnesses:

lEDGAD Coxonxnnnr, LE LInvnB. 

